IPL 2022: Virat Kohli feels helpless being 20 minutes away from home in RCB bubble

Former Team India and Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli arrived at the RCB team hotel on Tuesday to join his team and enter the secure bio-bubble. Kohli wishes he were at home with his wife and daughter as the hotel is hardly 20 minutes from his home in Mumbai, but the bio-bubble restricts him to do so.

Kohli, who stepped down as the team’s skipper, will be spending the next two months with his team. He is succeeded by the new team entrant Faf du Plessis, who was released by Chennai Super Kings ahead of the mega auction this year. RCB named Faf as their new captain, as he also has the experience of leading his home team, South Africa.

Talking about the quarantine period at the hotel and how difficult it is to spend time away from home, Kohli on ‘RCB Bold Diaries’ said: “I would have preferred not to be here (at the hotel). Because I’m in Bombay and the home’s literally 20 minutes from here and you can’t go home, you can’t do anything. But it is what it is. You just got to go through whatever shows you’re left with, catch up on a couple of shows, read a book which you’re still going on with, and a lot of video calls at home.”

King Kohli talks about his renewed energy, the confidence he has in Faf, and more on @kreditbee presents Bold Diaries.#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2022 #Mission2022 @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/QQlaAFTpuO

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) March 22, 2022

Virat Kohli reminisces 15 glorious years spent with his franchise

Speaking of being with the franchise for 15 years straight, since its inception, Kohli said: “Wow, 15! It’s quite unbelievable the IPL has come this far. There’s renewed energy because I am off a lot of responsibilities and duties. And life is in a very good place. We have a child now; we have a family. For me, it’s all about just going on about life with a lot of joy and happiness and just watching our child grow. Just doing what I love, which is playing cricket.”

As the former skipper does not hold any captaincy burden, he feels that he’ll be fully dedicated towards his franchise, as he has been there since the beginning. “My focus is so clear now, and it’s so precise what I want to do. I want to just have a lot of fun and enjoy myself on the field and give my everything to this team and to this franchise like I have over so many years and without any load. I’m absolutely ready,” he further said.

RCB will kick-start its campaign on 27 March, in the second match of the league, as they face the Mayank Agarwal-led Punjab Kings on Sunday evening at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.